Bear1209
Member
My family is looking to buy a travel trailer in the near future, which we would pull with our 2019 Ford Expedition MAX. We do not have the heavy-duty tow package, which limits our max loaded trailer weight to 6,300 lbs. Most travel trailers we are finding meeting our needs are in the 7,000 lbs dry-weight range (so <9,000 lbs. loaded up), which would of course mean we could pull those trailers if we had the HD tow package. In effort to avoid spending another $20k to upgrade to another expedition with a HD tow package, I started considering what upgrades could be made on our current expedition to achieve that same setup. The frame and receiver hitch are the same whether we have the HD tow package or not, so not concerned there. Based on Ford's towing spec sheet (https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/conten.../guides/19Towing_Ford_Expedition_r1_Dec21.pdf), here's is what I found needs to be upgraded:
- radiator upgrade - what would I need to upgrade to?
- Electronic Traction Assist (eLSD) - is this even possible to upgrade? or would it need to come from factory with this option?
- upgraded rear axle - change gears from 3.31 to 3.73, which I would assume I could pay a mechanic a few thousand dollars to swap (still cheaper than a new expy)
- trailer brake control - easy to add whether I use a wired or bluetooth option
- Pro Trailer Backup Assist - is this really needed? Most travel trailers have a backup camera option
Anything else I'm not thinking of?
- radiator upgrade - what would I need to upgrade to?
- Electronic Traction Assist (eLSD) - is this even possible to upgrade? or would it need to come from factory with this option?
- upgraded rear axle - change gears from 3.31 to 3.73, which I would assume I could pay a mechanic a few thousand dollars to swap (still cheaper than a new expy)
- trailer brake control - easy to add whether I use a wired or bluetooth option
- Pro Trailer Backup Assist - is this really needed? Most travel trailers have a backup camera option
Anything else I'm not thinking of?